It’s cold here and some of the stunted trees resemble bonsais. They are called “krummholz”, meaning “crooked wood”.

Their unique shape is caused by the wind, which dries out the new shoots. This stunts the trees’ growth and can even cause multiple trunks.

Near the coast, the sea salt and wear cause by windblown sand, deforms these hardy small trees even more.

In this type of wetland, the soil is saturated with stagnant water. This deprives the micro-organisms (bacteria and fungus) of oxygen and they are unable to decompose the dead plants. A layer of partially decomposed plant waste, called peat, accumulates.

By capturing large amounts of carbon, peatbogs contribute to climate balance.